Perfect fit
Anette is part of the team that administers Norway's flagship programme for capacity development in higher education and research, the NORHED-programme.
She has a bachelor's degree in political science and had worked for four years at UiO's International Office when she found out about the Master's programme in Higher Education.
- I learned about it through colleagues. It was always the plan to go back and study for a Master’s and once I learnt of this programme it felt like a perfect fit.
Important and exciting sector
Higher education and research is an important and exciting sector that has gone through massive changes in recent decades.
- The favorite part of my job is working on complex issues of capacity development with colleagues at Norwegian universities and African universities. Working with issues that have potential societal impact really motivates me.
There are many things from the studies that are relevant for Anette's job at Norad. Knowledge of the history, governance and functions of universities are good examples.
- Also, learning methods and training to distill information and analyzing complex issues has been extremely useful, says Anette.
In addition, she keeps in contact with classmates from the programme, and that forms part of her professional network.
Get to know the course content
- If you are considering applying for the study programme, make sure that you prepare well by getting to know the course content and reading lists ahead, says Anette.
She also points out that if you are moving to Norway and are used to warm weather, it is a good idea to make sure that you are ready to embrace the cold climate.
- The winter in Oslo gets cold.
A great learning experience
- I loved the truly international atmosphere of the classroom and getting to know fellow students from all over the world, Anette says.
She tells us that they were a great class cohort that had many interesting discussions, both inside and outside the classroom, based on their experiences and knowledge of different national higher education systems.
- Another thing that I would like to emphasize is the teachers and supervisors that made the programme a great learning experience.